The air was thick with dust and heat. Each breath felt like swallowing smoke. Riku's ears rang—high, sharp, and constant—as if the explosion still echoed inside his skull. The once-mighty core chamber of Shinonome Dam now lay in ruin. Metal beams hung like broken ribs from the ceiling, sparking with dying arcs of blue electricity. The glow of the reactor was gone, replaced by the dull red light of emergency beacons still trying to function in the chaos.
He coughed, pushing himself up on trembling arms. The floor burned under his palms. Steam hissed from ruptured pipes all around.
"Suzune!" he called out, voice hoarse.
A low groan answered him somewhere to his left. Through the haze, he saw her pinned beneath a steel beam. She was conscious, barely. Blood streaked her forehead, but her eyes met his. "I'm fine," she managed weakly. "Help me get this off."
